Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on (a) his private office and (b) staff costs of each Minister in his Department under each category of expenditure in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of (a) the private office and (b) staff of each Minister in his Department in the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 2 July 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 825W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).
	The estimated cost of six staff employed in ministerial private offices in financial year 2011-12 is £1.66 million, this is a mixture of civilian and military staff. This figure does not include costs for some support staffs which are provided from other teams.
	The Ministry of Defence employs two speechwriters who work for Ministers. The estimated cost of the staff is £120,000 per annum.